Polyphony in Iranian Music (V)

Written by Dr. M. Taghi Massoudieh (1927-1998)
Originally published in Honarhaye Ziba (Fine Arts) 3, 1998, 95-104.

Translated by Mahboube Khalvati

In addition to the above-mentioned, polyphony can be also formed when a melody is performed by several singers in different ambiances or different sound registers according to their physiologic abilities. An example of this has been performed in rituals of Khanqah of Ghaderi darawish of Mahabad [i]. Khanqah ritual of Ghaderi darwaish is constantly accompanied by dance and avaz. Constant repetition of a melody or motif leads to the monotony of dance movements and consequently leads to ecstasy or comma. This constant monotonous repetition can be compared to hypnosis. Ecstasy and comma based on this are metaphysical status and are considered as a border between life and death [ii]. Probably for the same reason, in Ghaderieh Khanqah in Sanandaj, extraordinary and agonizing acts such as thrusting a blade or dirk inside body organs is considered a joyful act. Therefore, ecstasy happens with anesthesia in a way that the dancer passes out on the floor at the end of the dance; and, consequently, his return to the material world features a scream [iii].

The polyphonic forms which were introduced occur unconsciously. On the contrary, there are some polyphonic forms in Iranian music that happen intentionally. These examples are mostly instrumental and are usually performed by dutar. Below an excerpt of these polyphonic forms are presented:

 

Farangi Rezagholi (Transcription No.7)

Transcription No.7

One of the popular muqams in Lorestan music is Farangi Rezagholi (Transcription No.7). The reason it is called farangi is that the melody is adopted from foreign music and “Rezagholi” is the name of the narrator of the muqam or an individual after whose name the muqah’s name is adopted [iv]. In Lorestan, dutar is called Tamireh. Imam Gholi Imami, Lorestan’s well-known tamireh player, performed Farangi Rezagholi (Transcription No.7).

Melodic figures of Farangi Rezagholi muqam is accompanied by a second voice like the voice of drone. The drone constantly follows the ascending and descending movement of the melody. Relocation of drone in this manner shapes a type of parallelism or a duet sequence. Farangi Rezagholi muqam consists of three melodic figures (Transcription No. 7, a + b + c staffs 1, 6, 14). Out these three figures, only the first one (a) experiences the most drastic change. Sequence of two voices due to sequence or relocation of drone exists in all Lorestan’s musical muqams including “Farangikhan-e Mirza”, “Male Jiri” and also “Avazen Be Poova Mouri”. Here only one example is introduced.

A parallel coincidence of two voices as a result of the relocation of drone also exists in instrumental pieces in Khorasan and Torkaman music. Here two examples are introduced; one is “Torqeh” belonging to North and Northwestern Khorasan and the other one is “Kach Falak” belonging to Turkmen music.

 



[i] Recorded from Iranian Culture TV on 15/12/1975.

[ii] Bose, Fritz; Musik und Musiker in auBereuropäischen Kulturen: “Humanismus un Technik 14, Heft 1, 1970, S. 1-8.

[iii] Recorded by the author in rituals of Ghaderieh Daravish Khanqah in Sanandaj conducted by Tofiq Moghadam.

[iv] As mentioned by Hamid Izadpanah.

Post a Comment


Warning: Undefined variable $user_ID in C:\host-websites\harmonytalk.com\domains\en.harmonytalk.com\www\wp-content\themes\harmonytalk\comments.php on line 93
Required fields are marked *
*
*
Your email is never shared.

Parva, Iranian Singer, Passes Away!

Parva, a singer of Iranian music, has passed away after a period of illness. In recent years, she had been residing in both Iran and Austria.

Iraj Passes Away!

Iraj (Hossein Khajeh-Amiri), born on January 1, 1933, in Natanz, and one of the most renowned figures in Iranian vocal music, passed away at the age of 94 after several months of illness. He was born into an artistic and cultivated family; his ancestor was a celebrated singer during the era of Nasser al-Din Shah Qajar, and his father, who himself possessed a fine voice and was well-versed in the radifs (modal systems) of Persian music, devoted years to training his son’s voice. In his early youth, Iraj also participated in Ta’ziyeh (religious passion plays) and learned the subtleties of vocal performance step by step from Ta’ziyeh performers who had mastered the radifs and modes.

From Past Days…

Inefficiency of some chords and harmonization systems in Iranian music

Discussions and research have been conducted on the harmonization of “dastgah” and melodies in Iranian music, and several books have been published on this topic, including “Armenian Music of Iran” by Ali Naghi Vaziri, “Harmony of Iranian Music” by Farhad Fakhreddini, and “Harmony of Iranian Music” by Ali Ghamssari. A master’s thesis titled “Presenting a Solution for Harmonizing Based on the Structure of Tritone Intervals” was written by Atefeh EinAli in 2014. Additionally, the invention and use of “Even Harmony” by Morteza Hannaneh should be mentioned.

Iranian Fallacies – Composition and Arrangement

In the tradition of classical music, it is generally tried to use the same technical terms related to music in all countries. Even in the cultures in which native terms exist to refer to musical terms, usually the better known universal terms are employed.

Gholam Reza Khan Minbashian: a pioneer in Iranian music (I)

Gholam Reza Khan Minbashian, a.k.a Salar-Mo’azez, was a pioneer in several domains in the history of the Iranian music. He is recognized as the first Iranian musician who was educated in classical music. He is also the first Iranian the score of whose works were published in Europe. He is the first Iranian to have launched courses on Western classical music and was also the first Iranian teacher of classical music. Moreover, he is the first founder of a string orchestra in Iran, the first author of the Iranian Radif which was available in oral form. Minbashian is also the first Iranian who studied music in Europe.

Interview with the Makers of the New Qeychak (III)

In this project, my specialized responsibility  was the basic drawings of the desired instrument with the help of engineering and mechanical software.  I have also the carried out phases related to engineering designs, related variables, and volume and weight calculations under Mr. Ziaei’s direct supervision from the very beginning. Regarding the challenges of this work, suffice it to say that the set of designs for the instrument lasted more than 9 months in the final stage of the project only.

Reza Vohdani; Unveiling unpublished works, preservation of Iranian classical music

Reza Vohdani is a renowned name among tar (traditional Iranian instrument) players, especially within the Iranian music community that values the meticulous practice and teaching of traditional music. While Vohdani honed his skills in music theory and tar playing under the guidance of masters like Ali-Naghi Vaziri, Ali-Akbar Shahnazi, Hossein Dehlavi, and Ahmad Forutan-Rad, it is his unwavering dedication to studying, documenting, and teaching the Iranian classical music repertoire that has solidified his prominence in the field. Recently, Vohdani’s family decided to make his preserved works accessible to the wider art and music community. In this regard, The Persian-language newspaper ‘Iran’ spoke with Sadjad Pourghanad, a musician, university instructor, and music researcher, who shared his opinion into the project, as detailed in the interview below.

The Structure of Kurdistan Daf (IV)

Researcher: Mohammad Tarighat Translator: Fatemeh Alimohammadi Daf Structure The Structure of Daf in different cities of Iran has a great variety in terms of dimensions, components and even appearance; some of which are as follows: – Square Daf, on which the skin was stretched either on one or both sides, with strings installed inside it…
Read More »

Principles of Playing Violin (IV)

Principles of Playing Violin (IV)

Pattern No.3/1 Left hand finger Placement: 3/1/1: Landing Fingers on one String: In preliminary stages of training, an apprentice should pay attention to the principle of keeping fingers while placing them on the fingerboard. Professional violinists pay less attention to this principle. Novice player’s complying with this principle, in preliminary stages of training, has several…
Read More »

Women and the Music Environment in Iran

The life territory of the female-male relations in the Iranian cultural context is basically a domestic territory and not a social-living one in the labour and leisure domains. To prove this, it only suffices to consider the Iranian men’s viewpoints about women. For the Iranian men, there are three perspectives regarding the women: mother, sister and wife. Mother represents the emotional territory; sister represents the logical territory at home while wife represents the sexual territory.

Parva, Iranian Singer, Passes Away!

Parva, a singer of Iranian music, has passed away after a period of illness. In recent years, she had been residing in both Iran and Austria.

Journey to Iran Revisited: Celebrating 20 Years of Guity Adjoodani’s Return to Persian Roots

This year marks the 20th anniversary of “Journey to Iran,” an album by Iranian pianist Guity Adjoodani that has resonated with audiences worldwide. Released two decades ago, this album is a beautiful tapestry of twenty Persian folk songs, each carefully selected from the rich musical traditions of various regions in Iran. It also features four notable compositions by the esteemed Javad Maroufi (1915-1992): “Prelude,” “Jila Fantasia,” “Golden Dreams” (Khaab-haa-ye Talaayi), and “Isfahan Rhapsody.” Additionally, the album includes the beloved song “Kiss Me” (Maraa Bebous) by Majid Vafadar (1912-1975), adding depth to an already impressive collection.